RELATING TO STATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

SB2543

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2543

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to state construction projects
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

PART I

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SECTION 1.
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The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by
adding a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"
Chapter

STATE
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

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�

-1
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Definitions.
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As used in this chapter, unless the context
clearly requires otherwise:

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"State agency" means any
office, department, board, commission, bureau, division, public corporation,
agency, or instrumentality of the State.

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"State
construction project" means any undertaking of work or improvement of
state lands or any interest therein, developed, acquired, constructed,
reconstructed, rehabilitated, improved, altered, or repaired by a state agency.

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"State
lands" means all lands owned by the State through any state agency.

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�

-2
�
State construction manager; office
established; appointment, tenure, removal; requirements; salary.
�
(a)
�

There is established within the department of accounting and general
services the office of the state construction manager, which shall be headed by
a full-time state construction manager to organize, manage, and oversee the
design review of all state construction projects and issue design approvals
before any state construction project commences.
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The state construction manager shall be
appointed by the governor pursuant to section 26-34.
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The state construction manager shall report to
the comptroller.

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(b)
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To be eligible to serve in the position of state construction manager,
an individual shall have held a valid license under chapter 464 for at least
five years immediately preceding the date of appointment.

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(c)
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The state construction manager shall not engage in the private practice
of professional construction management or serve in a managing capacity in any
private business or enterprise.

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(d)
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The salary of the state construction manager shall be established by the
governor.

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-3
�
Duties and responsibilities.
�
(a)
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The state construction manager shall have general charge and oversight
of the design review of all state construction projects.
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The state construction manager shall:

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(1)
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Review all plans,
drawings, specifications, and any other documents necessary for state
construction projects;

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(2)
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Ensure conformance
with all building codes or county, national, or international prescriptive
construction standards, including construction, electrical, energy-conservation,
plumbing, and sidewalk standards, as applicable;

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(3)
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Provide exclusive
centralized design review services for state construction projects and issue
design approvals; and

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(4)
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Assign an
inspector to each state construction project for the purpose of observing the construction
work.

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-4
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Assistance and staff.
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The state construction manager may employ or contract
with qualified architects and engineers as necessary, without regard to chapter
76, to carry out the duties and responsibilities established by this chapter.

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-5
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Costs for services; fees.
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(a)
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The

cost of all design review services performed by the office of the state
construction manager for a state agency shall be determined by the state construction
manager.

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(b)
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The state construction manager may set, charge, and collect reasonable
fees, without regard to chapter 91, in an amount sufficient to defray the cost
of processing design approvals.

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(c)
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All fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited with the
state construction manager to the credit of the design review special fund
established by section -6.

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-6
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Design review special fund.
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(a)
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There
is established in the state treasury the design review special fund to be
administered and expended by the state construction manager for the purposes of
this chapter.

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(b)
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The following shall be deposited into the design review special fund:

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(1)
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Fees collected for
services provided to state agencies pursuant to this chapter and rules adopted
pursuant to this chapter;

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(2)
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Appropriations
made by the legislature to the special fund; and

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(3)
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Interest earned or
accrued on moneys in the special fund.

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(c)
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Moneys remaining on balance in the design review special fund at the
close of each fiscal year shall remain in the special fund and shall not lapse
to the credit of the state general fund.

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-7
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Administrative rules.
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No later than December 31, 2027, the
comptroller, in consultation with the state construction manager, shall adopt
rules pursuant to chapter 91 to implement this chapter.

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-8
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Annual report.
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(a)
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The
state construction manager shall prepare and submit an annual report to the
governor and legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of
each regular session.

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(b)
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The report shall include:

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(1)
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A summary
describing the activities of the office of the state construction manager,
including but not limited to a list and description of each state construction
project that received a design approval during the preceding fiscal year; and

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(2)
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A financial report
on the status of the design review special fund established by section
-6."

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SECTION
2
.
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Section 26-6,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as
follows:

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"
(b)
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The
department shall:

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(1)
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Preaudit and conduct after-the-fact audits of the financial
accounts of all state departments to determine the legality of expenditures and
the accuracy of accounts;

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(2)
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Report to the governor and to each regular session of the
legislature as to the finances of each department of the State;

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(3)
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Administer the state risk management program;

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(4)
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Establish and manage motor pools;

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(5)
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Manage the preservation and disposal of all records of the
State;

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(6)
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Undertake the program of centralized engineering and office
leasing services, including operation and maintenance and lease buyback
processing pursuant to subsection (d) of public buildings, for departments of
the State;

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(7)
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Undertake the functions of the state surveyor;

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(8)
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Establish accounting and internal control systems;

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(9)
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Have the discretion to employ persons within the
comptroller's office who shall be exempt from chapters 76 and 89 in support of
communications, change management, and business process improvement programs as
part of the State's information technology modernization efforts; provided that
the persons shall be members of the state employees' retirement system and
shall be eligible to receive the benefits of any state employee benefit program
generally applicable to officers and employees of the State;

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(10)
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Provide centralized computer information
management and processing services through the chief information officer;

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(11)
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Establish a program to provide a means for
public access to public information and develop an information network for
state government;

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(12)
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Assume administrative responsibility for the
office of information practices; [
and
]

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(13)
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Approve state fleet acquisitions; provided
that:

���������
(A)
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Beginning January
1, 2022, all new light-duty motor vehicles that are passenger cars purchased
for the State's fleet shall be zero-emission vehicles;

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(B)
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Beginning as soon
as practicable but no later than January 1, 2030, all new light-duty motor
vehicles that are multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks for the State's
fleet shall be zero-emission vehicles; and

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(C)
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The comptroller
may authorize an exemption for new fleet vehicle purchases if zero-emission
vehicles are demonstrated to be cost-prohibitive on a lifecycle basis or
unsuitable for the vehicles' planned purpose, or if funds are unavailable[
.
]
;
and

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(14)
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Provide
exclusive centralized design review services for state construction projects
and issue design approvals through the state construction manager.

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For the purposes of this subsection:

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"Light-duty motor vehicle"
has the same meaning as defined in title 10 Code of Federal Regulations part
490.

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"Multipurpose passenger
vehicle" has the same meaning as defined in title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations section 571.3.

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"Passenger car" has the
same meaning as defined in title 49 Code of Federal Regulations section 571.3.

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"Truck" has the same
meaning as defined in title 49 Code of Federal Regulations section 571.3.

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"Zero-emission vehicle"
has the same meaning as specified in title 40 Code of Federal Regulations
section 88.1."

PART II

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SECTION 3.
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Chapter 46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

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"
�46-
�
County
building permit, inspection, and certificate of occupancy requirements;
exemption; state construction projects.
�
(a)
�
Notwithstanding any other law to the
contrary, state construction projects shall be exempt from county building
permit, inspection, and certificate of occupancy requirements if the projects
comply with applicable building codes or county, national, or international
prescriptive construction standards, including construction, electrical, energy-conservation,
plumbing, and sidewalk standards, as applicable, as determined by the state
construction manager pursuant to chapter .

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(b)
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Nothing in this section shall relieve any state construction project
from the laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations of the State or a county, or any
departments, boards, or other agencies thereof, with respect to:

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(1)
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The
construction, operation, and maintenance of the state construction project;

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(2)
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Compliance with
master plans or zoning laws or regulations; and

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(3)
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Compliance with
building and health codes and other
laws,
ordinances, rules, and regulations of a similar nature applicable to the state
construction project
.

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(c)
�
As
used in this section:

����
"State agency" means any office,
department, board, commission, bureau, division, public corporation, agency, or
instrumentality of the State.

����
"State construction project" means any
undertaking of work or improvement of state lands, or any interest therein,
developed, acquired, constructed, reconstructed, rehabilitated, improved,
altered, or repaired by a state agency.

����
"State lands" means all land owned
by the State through any state agency.
"

PART III

����
SECTION 4.
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There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii
the sum of $ or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to be deposited into
the design review special fund established by section -6,
Hawaii Revised Statutes.

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SECTION 5.
�

There is appropriated out of the design review special fund established
by section -6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to establish:

����
(1)
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One full-time
equivalent (1.0 FTE) state construction manager position; and

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(2)
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full-time equivalent ( FTE) positions within the office
of the state construction manager.

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The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
department of accounting and general services for the purposes of this Act.

PART IV

����
SECTION 6.
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Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
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New statutory
material is underscored.

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SECTION 7.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

State
Construction Projects; Department of Accounting and General Services; State
Construction Manager; Special Fund; County Permitting; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
the Office of the State Construction Manager within the Department of
Accounting and General Services, overseen by the State Construction Manager, to
organize, manage, and oversee design review of, and issue design approvals for,
state construction projects.
�
Exempts state
construction projects from county building permit, inspection, and certificate
of occupancy requirements under certain circumstances, as determined by the State
Construction Manager.
�
Establishes the
Design Review Special Fund and appropriates funds into and out of the fund.

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